Kaiser Permanente Dedicates its First Radiation Oncology Center in Placer County

ROSEVILLE- Kaiser Permanente today dedicated its first Radiation Oncology Center in Placer County here this week, giving its growing area patients more convenient access to high-tech cancer treatments and improved continuity of care.

G.L. Bruno Associates served as the general contractor on the $16.6 million center project and the architect was Anthony C. Pings Associates; both firms are based in Fresno.

A ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony for the new 16,000-sq.-ft. facility was attended by community and elected officials, including Roseville Mayor Gina Garbolino and State Senator Dave Cox. The center, located at 504 Gibson Drive near the Roseville Galleria, will begin caring for patients on Aug. 1.

"We're very excited to bring radiation oncology services closer to our growing membership in the Roseville area, where we now care for nearly 183,000 people," said Ed Glavis, senior vice president, Sacramento Valley Area, Kaiser Permanente.

About 500 patients will be cared for during the center's first year of operation and more than 600 patients annually by 2008.

"It's important to keep in mind what this facility means for our patients receiving radiation therapy," said Craig Green, MD, physician-in-chief, Roseville. "Typically, they are receiving radiation therapy over a six-week period so having this center close to where they live is very important."

The center houses the latest cancer treatment technology, including two state-of-the-art linear accelerators that deliver high-energy rays to specific areas of the body to destroy cancer cells. The machines have been dubbed "Peace" and "Serenity" by staff. A third unit for high-dose radiation treatments, called "Hope," will be added later.

The facility was designed to help ease the emotional and physical trials that a cancer diagnosis brings and to promote a healing environment. The architecture includes an abundance of indoor and outdoor glass features, including some that contain inlaid bamboo. Polished wood trim, earth-tone carpeting and paint, and Asian- and nature-themed artwork are featured throughout the building.

The center will be staffed by about 20 physicians and staff, including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, physicists, oncology nurses and medical assistants.

Kaiser Permanente opened its first local Radiation Oncology Center at its Rancho Cordova medical campus in early January. Since then, physicians and staff of that 10,300-sq.-ft. center have cared for more than 800 patients and delivered more than 9,300 treatments.

The new cancer centers are part of Kaiser Permanente's $1.6 billion capital improvements planned over the next 10 years in the Greater Sacramento area.

Last fall, the not-for-profit health care organization broke ground on a 174-bed Women & Children's Center on its nearby 50-acre medical center campus at 1600 Eureka Road in Roseville. When completed in 2007, the four-story, $150 million center will bring under one roof inpatient pediatrics, pediatric specialties, intensive neonatal care and labor and delivery services, greatly expanding Kaiser Permanente's ability to care for its growing membership in Placer County. Next year it also plans on opening new medical offices in Lincoln.

More Mission Bay Projects to Open; Nibbi Starts Two Housing Developments

SAN FRANCISCO - The Mission Bay redevelopment project keeps rolling along with two Nibbi Brothers housing projects about to get started along with yet even more new buildings near completion at UC San Francisco.

Nibbi's lineup includes the $38 million 355 Berry Street market-rate rental housing project and the $30 million 420 Berry Street affordable rental housing project.

355 Berry will offer 194 units within a two-level concrete podium structure with three and four stories of wood-frame housing above and 194 parking spaces. Construction is scheduled to start soon and completion is scheduled for March 2007.

The owner is Urban Housing Group and the architect is Seidel/Holzman.

This high-density project off Mission Creek also features a series of landscaped courtyards.

420 Berry features 236 units within a four-story wood-frame structure across the street from the Caltrain railroad tracks between 5th and 6th streets. It will offer studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments and 170 surface parking spaces. The project is scheduled to break ground in December, with a completion in June 2007.

The owner is The Related Companies and the architect is David Baker & Partners.

David Baker's design features bays and recesses, pedestrian entries, and two garden notches. A curving internal street, providing street parking spaces separated with trees planted in the street, runs through the site behind the urban apartments. On the other side, a row of three-story townhouses, containing studios at grade and two-level walk-up townhouses above, buffer sound from the railroad tracks

Meanwhile, UCSF at Mission Bay is expecting its Hearst Tower Mission Bay Housing building to be completed this month. The complex of 431 apartments offer a mix of studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units that are open to UCSF students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty.

The Mission Bay Community Center, or Bakar Fitness and Recreation Center, is expected to open this October. It will feature three floors of fitness, health and recreation facilities. The building, designed by architect Ricardo Legorreta, features a light-filled atrium, tower, indoor teaching and outdoor lap pools as well as various cardiovascular and weight machines and free weights. Drop-in child care facilities are also available. Retail outlets and restaurants will also be included, as will a fully loaded conference center.

Mission Bay developer Catellus reported last week that Urban Housing Corp. placed the final residential rental parcel under contract - a site located south of the channel, dubbed Parcel 4. Escrow is expected to close in March and Catellus will then begin utility sitework.

Cal Pacific Medical Plans $1 Billion San Francisco Makeover

California Pacific Medical Center is going ahead with an ambitious $1 billion project of new construction and seismic retrofitting at its facilities in San Francisco.

The main project will be a completely new hospital and medical office building at Cathedral Hill, which is scheduled to start construction in 2007 and be completed by 2012. The site is currently the home of the venerable Cathedral Hill Hotel at Van Ness and Geary, and the Joie de Vivre property will stay open until the end of 2006 before demolition begins.

Also on the docket is a major seismic retrofit project and construction of a new medical office building at CPMC's Davies campus at Duboce and Noe streets. Construction on this $120 million project is scheduled to start this year and continue until 2008.

SmithGroup/SOM are developing the design for both projects; lead architects are Leo Chaow and Craig Hartman. Turner Construction Co. will be the general contractor on the Cathedral Hill project. Pankow Builders will do the general contractor duties on the Davies retrofit and Herrero Contractors of San Francisco will serve as general contractor on the new Davies medical office building and various standalone hospital renovation projects in the existing Davies facilities.

The Cathedral Hill campus's hospital will have up to 600 private room beds and more than 500 parking spaces in the underground garage. It will house Acute Care and women's and children's services. The hospital will also include an emergency department, operating rooms, intensive care units and diagnostic and treatment facilities.

The Cathedral Hill medical office building will feature physician and administrative offices, and medical clinics, including transplant, pediatric specialties, and women's diagnostic and treatment center. A proposed eight-story underground parking garage will accommodate nearly 600 spaces.

The renovated and expanded Davies Campus will become CPMC's Regional Rehabilitation and Neuroscience Center. It will maintain full acute care and emergency services.

Beginning this year, Davies' North Tower will be seismically strengthened to meet state mandates for acute care hospitals.

The new 50,000-sq.-ft., four-story medial office building will house ambulatory services, pre- and post-operation rooms, neurosciences medical offices and neurosciences clinics equipped with specialized diagnostic technology. In addition, the project will include a new "Terrain Park," creating a real-life environment to supplement the recovery of rehabilitation program patients.

The remainder of the Davies campus facilities, plus CPMC's California and Pacific campuses, although all structurally safe, will offer only ambulatory services and various clinics after the other hospital facilities are built.

CTC Releases $1.26 Billion for State Transportation Projects

SACRAMENTO -- The California Transportation Commission last Friday earmarked $1.26 billion in new transportation funding to start construction on 337 projects throughout the state.

"California is back in business," said Caltrans Director Will Kempton. "We want contractors to come back to the state - there's work to be done."

The CTC's action to release the $1.26 billion will provide more money for transportation in the first month of the new fiscal year than the entire amount set aside ($900 million) all of last year. The CTC is expected to earmark an estimated $4.1 billion for transportation during the 2005-06 fiscal year.

The surge of new transportation dollars comes largely from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's reinstatement of $1.313 billion in Proposition 42 monies to the State Transportation Investment Fund. It also includes expected Indian gaming revenues and regular revenues Caltrans receives from state and federal gas taxes and truck weight fees.

"California is turning the corner when it comes to building and maintaining our transportation infrastructure," Kempton said. "The governor's reinstatement of Proposition 42 funds will pay for projects that will reduce traffic congestion, facilitate goods movement and create jobs."

All projects funded are ready to go to construction, including the following major projects:

• Santa Rosa, widening State Route 101 in Sonoma County. $51.3 million was allocated for a project that will reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality in the northern Bay Area. Two new carpool lanes (one in each direction) will be added between Route 12 and Steele Lane. Total project cost: $82.5 million.
  
  
• Fresno, widening State Route 99 in Fresno County. $32.9 million was allocated for a project to convert over 10 miles of State Route 99 from a four-lane expressway to a six-lane freeway between Kingsburg and Selma. Commuters will spend less time stuck in traffic, improving their quality of life. State Route 99 is a key commerce corridor, and this project will expedite goods movement. Total project cost: $53.9 million.
  
  
• Orange County, State Route 22 carpool lanes. $123.7 was allocated for a project that will benefit many Southern California communities, including Orange, Garden Grove, Westminster and Santa Ana. The project (currently under construction) is adding 12.5 miles of new carpool lanes on State Route 22 from Interstate 405 to State Route 55. Auxiliary lanes and soundwalls also will be built. The project will improve air quality, provide traffic congestion relief, and lower freeway noise. Total project cost: $500 million.
  
  
• Los Angeles, new light rail vehicles. $29.1 million was allocated for a project to purchase 50 new light rail vehicles that will be used system-wide, including the Pasadena Gold Line and Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension. The new vehicles will enable transit services to carry more passengers and offer commuters a good alternative to driving. Total project cost: $128 million.

Most of the $1.26 billion in funding was allocated for these categories: Highways ($460 million), Transit ($32 million), Rail ($8 million) and Highway Operational Improvements and Rehabilitation ($526 million).

The remaining funding will be used primarily for safety projects, acquiring right of way, and transportation planning.

The CTC's next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 17 and 18 in Sacramento, and additional projects will be considered.